Foden hat-trick fires Man City to 5-1 rout of AEK Athens after PSG humbling

Phil Foden delivered a statement performance to drag Manchester City back on track in the Champions League, netting a hat-trick in a 5-1 demolition of AEK Athens at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday — just seven days after City were beaten 4-2 by defending champions PSG.

Elliot Anderson opened the scoring with his first goal for the club, tapping in from close range after Enzo Fernandez clipped the crossbar with a free-kick in the 12th minute. Foden then doubled the lead before half-time, breaking down the right, exchanging passes with academy graduate Rico Lewis, and lifting the ball over goalkeeper Alberto Brignoli.

AEK offered a brief moment of hope early in the second half when substitute Zini fed Stavros Pilios, who cut inside and drove a powerful low shot past Donnarumma to make it 2-1 after 52 minutes. The Greek champions’ travelling support roared, but any thoughts of a comeback were quickly extinguished as City reasserted their dominance.

Foden completed his treble — his first Champions League goals in almost 12 months — while Rayan Cherki also got on the scoresheet to round off a largely one-sided evening.

The result was all the more notable given that Enzo Maresca fielded a heavily rotated side. Leading scorer Erling Haaland was kept on the bench throughout after an injury scare, with youngster Floyd Samba deputising in his place up front.

For Foden, the display continued a marked upturn in form following two indifferent seasons and a difficult start to the current campaign that included a red card in last month’s Manchester derby. Having broken his scoring drought with a goal in Saturday’s Premier League win over Ipswich — his first since last December — the treble against AEK underlined his return to something approaching his best.

The victory provides City with a timely boost as they look to rebuild momentum in Europe, even as the club continues to deal with the weight of off-field matters that have cast a shadow over their season.